Car-Bike Collisions

Typical Car-Bike Collisions Median age Major causes Under 12 Entering the roadway swerving about 12 - 14 Right-of-way errors wrong-way riding Over 14 Signal changes motorist driveout motorist turns motorist overtaking Car-bike collisions have been studied more intensively than any other type of cycling accident because these are the kinds of crash that most people assume are the most common and that people fear most. Even for cyclists who ride extensively in traffic, collisions with other vehicles are among the least sources of risk. Most collisions result from cyclists disobeying traffic rules or riding unpredictably (more on this later). Young children and teenagers usually cause their own collisions. The vast majority of car-bike collisions are preventable or avoidable.

Fear from the Rear Most cyclists fear being hit from behind. Contrary to popular belief, almost all car-bike collisions result from conditions or actions that occur in front of the cyclist, most often in turning and crossing situations (e.g. intersections, driveways, lanes). Worrying about traffic overtaking from behind frequently causes cyclists to ignore more serious hazards ahead. Most cyclist rear-end collisions take place at night, among cyclists riding without lights or proper reflectors (a particular danger on rural roads and highways). Motorist-caused, car-overtaking-bike collisions account for about 0.3 percent of cycling accidents. Distribution of Car-Bike Collisions Urban Rural Total Turning and crossing 89% 60% 85% Motorist overtaking 7% 30% 10% Other parallel path 4% 10% 5%

Being in the right place at the right time Riding on the wrong side of the road (facing traffic) and riding on the sidewalk are two of the most common errors cyclists face. Many cyclists make these mistakes because they were taught to ride this way as children. Riding slowly on the sidewalk may be acceptable for children up to about age eight (See 10 Steps to help your child cycle safely elsewhere on our web site), but riding on the wrong side of the road is never acceptable. The safest place to ride a bike is on the road, as part of the normal and expected traffic flow.

Cyclist's Position before Collision Urban Rural Total Riding in "correct" position 38% 30% 37% Fail to yield when entering roadway 23% 16% 22% Riding on wrong side of road 20% 15% 19% Turning or swerving from curb 14% 37% 16% Riding on sidewalk 8% 3% 7% A word about riding in the "correct" position In the chart above ("Cyclist's Position before Collision"), it appears that many cyclists were riding correctly when struck by automobiles. In these instances, cyclists were riding on the right side of road, but were riding in such a way that other drivers were unable to see them or unable to interpret their intentions. Cyclists riding in fear of being struck from behind usually place themselves in situations where collisions become unavoidable. For example, they often ride too far to the right, even in lanes that are too narrow to share with other vehicles. This practice encourages other drivers to pass when it's unsafe (reinforcing the cyclist's fear of traffic approaching from behind) and makes cyclists less visible to other drivers at intersections and driveways (increasing the risk of being in a collision with these drivers). Agencies reporting these collisions often note that the cyclist had the right of way. Although motorists are technically at fault in these types of collisions, there are still techniques that cyclists can use to prevent these situations from occuring.

Rank Ordering of Car-Bike Collision Frequency by age of cyclist and location of accident (most frequent at top of list) A. Child - Urban 1. Cyclist running stop sign 2. Cyclist exiting residential driveway 3. Cyclist riding on sidewalk 4. Cyclist riding on sidewalk hit by motorist exiting commercial driveway 5. Cyclist swerving left from curb lane 6. Wrong-way cyclist swerving left 7. Cyclist riding on sidewalk hit by motorist turning right B. Child - Rural 1. Cyclist exiting residential driveway 2. Cyclist swerving about on road 3. Cyclist swerving left 4. Cyclist entering road from sidewalk or shoulder 5. Cyclist running stop sign C. Teen - Urban 1. Wrong-way cyclist hit by motorist restarting from stop sign 2. Cyclist turning left from curb lane 3. Cyclist exiting commercial driveway 4. Wrong-way cyclist running stop sign 5. Wrong-way cyclist head-on 6. Right-of-way error at uncontrolled intersection 7. Motorist entering commercial driveway 8. Cyclist running red light 9. Cyclist turning left from curb lane, hitting car coming from opposite direction 10. Wrong-way cyclist hit by motorist turning right on red D. Teen - Rural 1. Cyclist turns left from curb lane 2. Wrong-way cyclist head-on 3. Wrong-way cyclist hit by motorist restarting from stop sign 4. Cyclist turning left from curb lane, hitting car from opposite direction 5. Right-of-way error at uncontrolled intersection E. Adult - Urban 1. Motorist turning left 2. Signal light change 3. Motorist turning right 4. Motorist restarting from stop sign 5. Motorist exiting commercial driveway 6. Motorist overtaking unseen cyclist (mostly in darkness) 7. Motorist overtaking too closely 8. Cyclist hitting slower-moving car F. Adult - Rural 1. Motorist overtaking unseen cyclist (mostly in darkness) 2. Motorist overtaking too closely 3. Motorist turning left 4. Motorist restarting from stop sign 5. Cyclist swerving around obstruction 6. Cyclist turning left, hitting car coming from opposite direction

Source: Forester, John, Effective Cycling, MIT Press, 1993

How safe is riding a bike? More information about bicycle crashes and collisions Five Basic Principles of Traffic Cycling Cycling in Saskatoon (off-site link) Back to CAN-BIKE index page

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